Shangri-La Golden Sands, Penang in Batu Ferringhi

If you're not traveling with children, I highly recommend staying next door at the Shangri-La Rasa Sayang; it's much quieter and more beautiful. The difference between Sands and Rasa Sayang is truly night and day. The beach in front of Sands is practically gone, so don't be misled by videos; check out other guests' reviews. This hotel is very old, and the price for a sea-view room could get you a stay at the Rasa Sayang or Parkroyal instead. While the superior rooms are cheaper, they face the mosque and are very noisy, making them completely not worth it.

The front desk staff included Chinese speakers who were very warm and attentive. The room was spacious, allowing us to lie in bed and watch the sea. The swimming pool was a huge hit with the kids; they could play there from morning till night. At breakfast, we thought we saw a cockroach (it turned out to be a twig), and when we reported it to the hotel, they compensated us with a fruit platter. The facilities are indeed a bit dated, and the breakfast wasn't great. Also, definitely, definitely book a sea-facing room!

The hotel is a bit old, but it's very well-maintained, especially the garden which is fantastic. The garden faces the sea and has plenty of lounge chairs, perfect for relaxing there for half a day. There's a water park, an outdoor pool, and an indoor playground. My child played there all afternoon – it's a great place for kids to burn off energy! We were lucky enough to see a lizard in the garden, and the staff even fed it an apple, which was very interesting.

During the day, the lobby offers welcome drinks, snacks, and even live cotton candy making, which the kids absolutely loved!

However, the beach next to the hotel has debris like tree roots and the sand is quite coarse, not as good as Sanya's. There are many paid water activities along the beach, and the strong smell of gasoline makes it less enjoyable. I wouldn't recommend spending much time on this beach.

I booked over a month in advance, and about 700+ RMB per night was a pretty good price. Later, we had to add two more children and wanted to book an extra room, but the price doubled due to Thaipusam. So, we opted for an extra bed upon check-in, which cost 177 MYR (for 3 nights). Across from the hotel, there are convenience stores, Chinese restaurants, local eateries, durian shops, McDonald's, and more, making dining and shopping very convenient.

We booked this hotel hoping for a nice beach to stroll and spent quality time but we were disappointed. Hardly any beach.

The hotel environment is excellent, the location is superb, the facilities are great, and the breakfast is very rich. The service is also wonderful. Overall, it's a fantastic choice for Chinese travelers and a really good hotel.

Don't book the Deluxe Twin Room; the window faces directly onto the mosque outside, and the call to prayer starts at 5 AM every morning, four times a day. If you're a light sleeper, be wary. All the rooms are connecting, so soundproofing isn't great. Pay attention when checking out; they might ask for additional taxes, but this fee is already covered on Trip.com, so you'll need to discuss it with them. Laundry service at the hotel is expensive; it's better to go to an external self-service laundromat.

I really need to write a detailed review this time, so Chinese friends who are planning to visit have a heads-up~

Pros:
1. Shangri-La's consistently excellent service, which is why I chose it in the first place. The service is still very good, though the Chinese-speaking staff availability was limited. We didn't catch them during check-in or check-out, much less than at the George Town location.
2. The pool is fantastic. Most people were soaking in it to beat the heat. There were plenty of gazebos and lounge chairs. Lots of Caucasians were just sunbathing there.

Now for the cons:
1. A major drawback! From 5:30 AM, loudspeakers start broadcasting religious chanting at an incredibly loud volume, lasting for an hour! It happens during the day too, but it's less noticeable due to other noise. In the morning, it's just too much! And because the building is old, the soundproofing is poor, so it completely wakes you up!
2. The hotel's beach is practically gone... The sea erosion is severe. The beach shown in videos is completely nonexistent now, just a tiny strip. If the tide is low, you can go down, but if it's high, it's a sheer drop-off. The beach is covered with black netting to prevent further erosion, but it doesn't seem to be helping much.

The picture shows the only remaining bit of beach.

We had a great stay at Golden Sands. Staffs were friendly, facilities were good. Perfect place if you have small kids. Definitely will come back again!

I hope golden sands could upgrade/update to faster check in procees. Been there few times but check in procees quite a hassle. Then i specifically booked 2 room with king bed but end up getting 1 room with king bed & the other 2 double bed. We did arrived late around 4.30pm but then still need to wait for the other room to be ready. Really consume lot of time. Plus, receptionist said will send me the key to the other room in 20mins. But 20mins nobody knock/call our room. So i called the counter & this indian lady said need me to come collect. I am way too tired, so told her NO because just now during check in they said will send the key to our room. Ahh really not a good start. They did send the key though. But 1 dissapointment led to another. Other than that, all good. I love everything about golden sands except for their service.